Our standards of care

Up to 500 different species are rescued and rehabilitated each year. To successfully perform this role, wildlife rehabilitation providers require access to assessment and treatment protocols that are current and represent best practice. Their volunteers must also be trained and capable of providing injured, sick and orphaned animals with the facilities and standards of care essential for their humane treatment and hopeful release back to the wild.

We are responsible for providing consistent standards for wildlife rehabilitation across New South Wales. We do this through a combination of resources:

• Codes of practice establish the minimum requirements for the rescue, rehabilitation and release of animals in care. Our codes also specify training and reporting requirements and measures to reduce the risks to the health and safety of volunteers. Compliance with the standards in our codes is a condition of the Biodiversity Conservation Licence issued to wildlife rehabilitation providers.
• Training standards have been designed for use by trainers in the NSW wildlife rehabilitations sector to evaluate, develop and support new and existing training. They describe the skills and knowledge that training programs must include to ensure volunteers can competently apply the standards in our codes. Each training standard is accompanied by a trainers' guide to help design and assess volunteer species training programs.
• Initial treatment and care guidelines give current and detailed information on how to assess and provide first aid to native animals first presenting for care. They are a resource for wildlife rehabilitators but are also useful for veterinarians and veterinary nurses.
• Compliance assessment tools are designed for wildlife rehabilitation groups to monitor their level of compliance with our codes of practice. Their primary purpose is to proactively help inform and guide improvements to their standards of animal care and optimise post-rehabilitation outcomes. These tools are for use by species coordinators and experienced animal rehabilitators such as mentors.
• Practical techniques in wildlife rehabilitation are short videos that demonstrate how to correctly apply selected standards in the codes of practice. They cover a broad range of skills and can be used to complement wildlife rehabilitation training. The videos are also a useful practical resource for veterinary professionals.

We also hold periodic webinars on wildlife rehabilitation for volunteers to develop their knowledge and skills. Many of these webinars are recorded and can be seen on the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife's Wildlife Heroes webpage.

These resources are now available for nearly all species rescued in New South Wales.

Resources

All species (general)

• Code of practice

Birds of prey

• Code of practice
• Training standards
• Trainers’ guide
• Assessment and treatment guidelines
• Compliance assessment tool

Echidnas

• Assessment and treatment guidelines

Flying-foxes

• Code of practice
• Training standards
• Trainers’ guide
• Assessment and treatment guidelines
• Compliance assessment tool
• Practical techniques in wildlife rehabilitation

Koalas

• Code of practice
• Training standards
• Trainers’ guide
• Assessment and treatment guidelines
• Compliance assessment tool
• Practical techniques in wildlife rehabilitation

Macropods

• Code of practice
• Training standards
• Trainers’ guide
• Assessment and treatment guidelines
• Compliance assessment tool

Marine mammals

• Code of practice
• Training standards
• Trainers’ guide
• Guidelines for evaluating hauled out seals

Bird (native)

• Code of practice
• Training standards
• Trainers’ guide
• Assessment and treatment guidelines
• Compliance assessment tool
• Seabird identification guide

Possums and gliders

• Code of practice
• Training standards
• Trainers’ guide
• Assessment and treatment guidelines
• Compliance assessment tool

Reptiles and amphibians

• Code of practice
• Training standards
• Trainers' guide
• Assessment and treatment guidelines
• Compliance assessment tool

Sea turtles and sea snakes

• Code of practice
• Training standards
• Trainers’ guide
• Assessment and treatment guidelines
• Practical techniques in wildlife rehabilitation

Wombats

• Code of practice
• Training standards
• Trainers’ guide
• Assessment and treatment guidelines
• Compliance assessment tool
• Practical techniques in wombat mange treatment

Training videos and webinars for wildlife rehabilitators

• Flying-foxes – Practical techniques in wildlife rehabilitation
• Koalas – Practical techniques in wildlife rehabilitation
• Sea turtles and sea snakes – Practical techniques in wildlife rehabilitation
• Wombats – Practical techniques in wildlife rehabilitation
• Wildlife Heroes webinar series

Charter of engagement with veterinary professionals

This charter outlines principles that guide the engagement of volunteer wildlife rehabilitators with veterinary personnel, including veterinarians, veterinary nurses and veterinary hospital staff, and underpins the relationship between the 2 groups.

Go to the charter of engagement with veterinary professionals

Wildlife-friendly vets

The Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife has commenced a national wildlife-friendly vets program. The project aims to promote veterinary professionals and give greater capacity to the sector to assess and treat injured and sick wildlife.

Veterinarians and veterinary nurses

Veterinarians and veterinary nurses have a crucial role in giving direct medical treatment to many of these sick and injured animals. They have a unique working relationship with the volunteers, who then provide for their ongoing rehabilitation and possible eventual release back to the wild.